The market for fakes

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in demand for collectibles, resulting in a consequent increase in sales prices. In some cases, these prices have reached record levels, previously reserved for the art world. This growing demand has incentivized counterfeiters to perfect their techniques, producing increasingly accurate replicas. This phenomenon, associated with the good faith of collectors, has created the ideal conditions for the diffusion on the market of counterfeit objects, presented as authentic. The situation is further complicated by the difficulty of online platforms in discerning with certainty the authenticity of items, often due to a lack of specific expertise in the sector.

How to recognize a fake?

When asking this question, it is essential to understand that there is no set of rules that are universally applicable for all collectibles, but you need to look at each case individually. This involves relying on your own knowledge, consulting industry literature and listening to the experiences of those who are more experienced than us. Unlike our competitors, we guarantee the presence of at least one expert for each sector, often even more than one in the same field, since we firmly believe that everyone's knowledge is intrinsically linked to their own experience, and that comparison with others can only enrich the evaluation process. In the context of authentication on our platform, it is never a single expert who manages the entire process, but rather a group of people who compare their opinions.

The following paragraph will see us immersed in the analysis of some of the most coveted objects in the current vintage collecting market: enamelled advertising signs, considered in some cases true works of pop art, and not only for their monetary value, but because they bring with them a way of communicating and advertising from bygone eras, and which we will probably never see again. Some of the most important illustrators "challenged" each other with advertisements during the decades of the 20th century, making some of them true identifying icons of the customs of a country, in particular Italy, which has always been a reference in the field of design and communication.

Campari red

We will provide some indications, probably already known to experts, but useful for those approaching the world of vintage collecting, on how to recognize a non-authentic enamelled sign. We will take for example an enamelled Campari Soda sign, one of the most widespread in bars and wine bars throughout Italy during the 1950s and 1960s.

This type of sign has dimensions of approximately 200×100 cm, and almost always shows the brand of the producing enamel shop, which was typically Cavalieri Pubblicità Vicenza or Smalterie Lombarde. However, in less than perfect examples, it could happen that the mark is no longer visible, especially in the versions of the Esmalterie Lombarde which have it along the external edge, an area susceptible to wear and thus making the marking disappear. Unfortunately, these characteristics alone are not sufficient to guarantee the authenticity of the piece, as they are also present in fakes.

It is therefore essential to examine the back of the sign, which should come in basic black with some scattered dark rust spots, due to the age of the piece. If you notice a completely rusty back while the front of the sign appears perfectly preserved, this should raise doubts about the genuineness of the object. Alternatively, if the rust were to have a light orange color, uniform over almost the entire surface, we would most likely be dealing with a fake.

For further checks, let's carefully examine the fixing holes. In counterfeit signs, it is common to observe a thin patina of orange rust on these holes, which is an indication of artificial and recent rust. As a rule, signs of aging are deliberately replicated in counterfeit signs, often appearing only at the corners and being absent from the rest of the sign. This is completely unlikely, considering the considerable size of a two meter long object. Another very relevant detail is that the counterfeit signs also have red enamelling along the entire external edge, unlike the authentic ones, which have a black edge. In conclusion, we show two examples of authentic Campari Soda signs and one counterfeit, so that you can clearly visualize what is discussed in this article.

Why is The Authentic Vintage the solution?

The Authentic Vintage offers all its users international level expertise, specialized in each specific sector of collecting. Our experts are first and foremost collectors with over 10 years of experience in their field, who have chosen to make their knowledge available in the fight against counterfeiting. Each item offered on this platform is subjected to scrupulous authenticity checks, conducted by experts before the item is shipped to its new owner. Following the checks, a Certificate of Authenticity is issued using Blockchain technology. This certification not only assists the buyer in proving the authenticity of their purchase in the future, but also forms the indelible fingerprint of the asset for generations to come, ensuring a future for your objects from the past.